N00732:31
The surest way to the greatest honour
The surest way to the greatest honour: discoursed in a sermon, delivered in the audience of His Excellency the Earl of Bellomont, captain general and governor in chief, and the Council, and representatives of the General Assembly of the province of the Massachusetts-Bay, convened at Boston in New-England, May 31st. 1699. Being the day for the election of counsellors in that province. / By Increase Mather.The surest way to the greatest honour: discoursed in a sermon, delivered in the audience of His Excellency the Earl of Bellomont, captain general and governour in chief, and the Council, and representatives of the General Assembly of the province of the Massachusetts-Bay, convened at Boston in New-England, May 31st. 1699. Being the day for the election of counsellors in that province. / By Increase Mather.
Boston: printed by Bartholomew Green for Samuel Phillips, 1699
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
•. By ••aring a due Testimony against the Sins of men. When Gods Law is Transgressed, his Name is dishonoured. Rom 2. 23. Through breaking the Law dishonourest thou God? Therefore when those Transgressions are duly Testified against, He is honoured. A Minister that would honour God in his place, must faithfully reprove the sins of men, and spare none: They must cry aloud and spare not, and li•• up their Voice like a Trumpet showing to the house of Jacob their sins. John Baptist did not spare Herod himself, notwithstanding his greatness, when he was known to be a vicious person. That his Faithfulness cost him his Life, and he was willing rather to loose his Life, than God should loose the honour due to his Name. If reproofs will not do, they that have Authority to punish Transgressors are bound out of respect to the honour of God in that way to express their Love and Zeal for his Name. So did Christ show his Zeal in punishing them that had profaned the Temple. When Phinehas Executed Judgment on several filthy debauched persons, God was honoured and highly pleased with that his Zeal. ⟨p. 12⟩And so he was with the Zeal of Elijah in causing the Priests of Baal to be slain. Eli's sin for which the Lord did so severely threaten and punish him and his family was his want of Zeal. He is charged with honouring his Sons above God. 1 Sam. 2. 29. For if he had punished them according to their deser•s they must have been Exposed to public shame, but rather than such disgrace should come to them, he suffered them to make themselves vile and restrained them not. Indeed he reproved them, but notwithstanding they were his Sons, considering he was the Judge of the Land, he ought to have put them to death, because they were guilty of Crimes which the Law of God had made Capital.
•. By ••aring a due Testimony against the Sins of men. When Gods Law is Transgressed, his Name is dishonoured. Rom 2. 23. Through breaking the Law dishonourest thou God? Therefore when those Transgressions are duely Testifyed against, He is honoured. A Minister that would honour God in his place, must faithfully reprove the sins of men, and spare none: They must cry aloud and spare not, and li up their Voice like a Trumpet shewing to the house of Jacob their sins. John Baptist did not spare Herod himself, notwithstanding his greatness, when he was known to be a vicious person. That his Faithfulness cost him his Life, and he was willing rather to loose his Life, than God should loose the honour due to his Name. If rproofs will not do, they that have Authority to punish Transgressors are bound out of respect to the honour of God in that way to express their Love and Zeal for his Name. So did Christ shew his Zeal in punishing them that had profaned the Temple. When Phineas Executed Judgment on several filthy debauched persons, God was honoured and highly pleased with that his Zeal.